


Santa's Reindeer

by Iorhael



Category: LotR/Shadowhunters RPS (pre-slash)
Genre: M/M, Nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 17:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13128033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iorhael/pseuds/Iorhael
Summary: Elijah gets left behind by the group. He makes a mistake of landing on earth when Santa is delivering a package. He is enticed by the sparkly stuff at a window. He has seen things like that when he was with Santa going places but never got a chance to watch closer. Now he does.





	Santa's Reindeer

Title: Santa's Reindeer  
Fandom: LotR/Shadowhunters RPS (pre-slash)  
Characters: Elijah Wood, Matthew Daddario  
Rating: G  
Summary: Elijah gets left behind by the group. He makes a mistake of landing on earth when Santa is delivering a package. He is enticed by the sparkly stuff at a window. He has seen things like that when he was with Santa going places but never got a chance to watch closer. Now he does.  
Warning: Nudity  
AN: My biggest thanks go to [](https://addie71.livejournal.com/profile)[**addie71**](https://addie71.livejournal.com/) for helping me with the beta.

 

The night was getting dark and the snow was falling harder and thicker. Elijah tightened the thin blanket he’d snatched earlier this afternoon, from a clothesline, around his body. It didn't help much. The best it could do was keep his dignity.

He looked around the town. It wasn't as lively as several hours before. Not many people were still on the streets--which was completely understandable judging from the weather and cold temperature--and not for the first time Elijah regretted his own stupidity. He wanted to blame those sparkling lights coming from the stores and the streets' Christmas decorations, but that wouldn't be fair. Those lights had always been there every time he stopped by the town, which was only his second time this year. Yeah, what did you expect? He was just thirteen. The youngest Santa allowed a boy to come along was twelve.

Yet Elijah didn't want to blame himself, either. He was just this small kid and he wanted to know what was inside those stores. From way up in the sky, they looked mesmerizing. He just wanted to see clearer but he was too close. Elijah had let himself adrift and it was all too late when his feet touched the ground.

Elijah shivered. He felt cold and hungry. He was still new in this whole delivering packages thing. There were things he still hadn’t mastered. He badly needed help right now.

After walking some more, Elijah stopped in front of a modest two-story house. The lights filtered through the blinds and thin smoke danced out of the chimney. The sight promised him warmth and Elijah hoped the owner of the house would be kind enough to offer him a little food. Elijah walked up the short flight of stairs and softly knocked at the door.

There was no reply for a couple of minutes. Elijah waited and was raising his hand to knock again when he heard the sound of the door being unlocked. It opened, revealing a young man in his late twenties. His ink-black hair and wide mouth that looked as if he was always smiling, caught Elijah's eyes.

"Hello," greeted the man. "What can I do for you?"

Elijah opened his mouth--or intended to--but he couldn't. His teeth chattered as he was shaking hard. The thin blanket might as well haven't been there for the cold threatened to freeze him right there and then.

"H-hi. M-may I..."

"Jesus Christ! You're freezing!" The man grabbed him and dragged him inside. "Sorry I didn't see right away."

"It's--it's okay."

"You have no clothes on," the man said following a short, close observation. "Your blanket is all wet."

So that was why he felt so cold then, Elijah thought as the man pushed him toward the lit fireplace. This must be where the smoke he saw had come from.

"Sit here. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." The man seated him in a cozy-looking, high-backed armchair. Elijah simply complied. He felt slightly warmer already. He wouldn't think of even moving from where he'd been parked.

A moment later the man returned with a pile of clothes. "Here. I don't have boys’ clothes but I hope they're not too big."

Elijah eyed the t-shirt stretched open in the man's hands and looked back at the man. He arched an eyebrow. He must be joking, right? The man was as tall as the lamp post on the street and the t-shirt was as wide as a flour sack. Elijah would drown in it. But he smiled and shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. It's just perfect. Thank you very much."

The man smiled widely. "Okay. Here they are." He shoved the pile into Elijah's hands. "The rest room is at the end of the corridor. You can change there. Quickly, before you get sick."

By _change_ , the man must mean just toss the blanket and get dressed. And talking about getting sick, Santa had made sure no one in his troops would ever do. Get cold, yes, but not sick.

Elijah tightened the cord of the sweats as tight as possible but they were still loose. And he had to keep pulling the sleeve of the t-shirt up his shoulder for it kept sliding down. He grimaced at his own reflection in the mirror and the boy with dirty brown hair grimaced back. Finally they both smirked. He was dry and warm. That was all that mattered.

Elijah walked timidly down the corridor back to the living room. The man rose from the couch at the sight of him.

"There you go. Hmm, I guess they're a bit too big for you, huh?"

"No, no. It's okay. I-I thank you very much."

"No problem. Hey, I guess we haven't introduced each other." The man gave out his hand. "Name's Matthew. Just call me Matt."

"I'm Elijah."

"Lovely name. So, Elijah. Are you hungry? Do you want some milk and cookies? I think I also still have carrot cake."

They sounded enticing and Elijah's mouth watered. Suddenly he remembered Mrs. Claus’ cinnamon cookies. Homesickness struck him so hard and sudden he felt like crying.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" asked the man. Matt. Elijah nodded frantically, wiping his eyes.

"I just miss my home."

"No, come on." Matt steered him back to the corridor to the back of the house and they stopped at the kitchen. Elijah looked around. The place was as cozy as Mrs. Claus’ kitchen with the island in the middle, the counter along the wall under the windows, and a very tall fridge next to the cupboards. Somewhat smaller, but still cozy.

"We can't have you sad and hungry. I have a lot of food here. Well, I live alone in this house but my mom had restocked the fridge and the cupboards. I'll be here until two days after Christmas. Still I guess she can feed the entire troops."

That reminded Elijah of his own troops and he started giggling. The lads would have a field day rummaging the place.

"Now, that's better." Here Matt was again with his wide smile. Elijah was sure Santa would be willing to give him a gift though Matt was no longer a boy.

“Why aren’t you with your family?” asked Elijah. “This is Christmas Eve.”

"I’m going to meet them tomorrow. Okay, so what do you want? The cookies and cake, or warm soup, or chocolate pie, or perhaps you want to try my tacos?"

So much food Elijah's head was spinning.

"So? Which one?"

Elijah smiled weakly. "Anything?"

"So it's up to me? Okay. I'll get you chicken noodle soup, chocolate pie, and tacos. Not necessarily in that order."

Elijah giggled. Matt was so funny.

And he was right. Or half right. He did bring Elijah the soup first, but Elijah’s mouth was already watering at the sight of the pie with its thick chocolate layer. He cut a bit of it with a fork and tasted it. It was heavenly. The chocolate burst and melted in his mouth. Not even Mrs. Claus had created something like this.

"Good?"

"Mm-hm."

"All right. Now have this soup before it gets cold."

But Elijah couldn't take his eyes off of the pie. "Another bite? Please?"

Matt sighed exaggeratedly. "Fine. But soup after that."

Elijah nodded eagerly.

So one more bite of chocolate pie, then soup, and one big taco with generous fillings. Then he ended it with the rest of the pie. He sagged in his chair as he finished everything.

"They're so good." Elijah moaned, rubbing his full belly. Matt patted his shoulder.

"I'm glad you liked the food. Off you go to the sitting room. I have some cleaning up to do."

When Matt finally followed him to the sitting room, Elijah had slouched comfortably in an armchair near the fireplace. Matt came and covered him with a blanket. Elijah sighed contentedly. His eyes had begun to feel heavy. Matt seated himself in a chair next to him and poked the wood in the fireplace.

"It's not that I don't want you to stay and be warm here but I have to ask you. Where were you separated?"

"Separated?"

"That's right. From your parents. I hate to do this but I guess I have to return you to your parents. They must be missing you, and like you said, it’s Christmas Eve."

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Claus must be missing him. He should have returned much earlier.

"Where do you live? I will drive you there."

"Uh, you can't."

"Why? Oh don't tell me you're from out of town and you came here by train or bus and you lost your parents in the station."

If Matt didn't look so worried, Elijah would've laughed at the string of words. Matt didn't even pause to take a breath.

"No, no. Not like that. It's just--" Suddenly Elijah felt sheepish. "I haven't been able to do it by myself. I guess I'm still too young. I'm not strong enough to kick and thrust myself to the sky. I need someone to lift me and make sure I'm off the ground for a couple of seconds."

Matt's golden-hazel eyes shone in confusion, his jaw dropped, and for some time he simply stood there wordlessly. Then he shook himself out of his reverie, chuckled a little, and asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Elijah huffed impatiently. "What don't you understand? I was bad. I was stunned by the sight of the city and the next thing I know, all my friends had left me, flying back home."

"And your friends are..."

"The reindeer, of course. But I can't really blame them. Their job is to take Santa places and all."

For the second time Matt looked stricken but this time it was worse. He didn't blink and he seemed to have stopped breathing.

"Matt?" Elijah waved his hand in Matt's face. "Hello, anybody home?"

Matt gasped and shifted back. "Who are you, Elijah? No. _What_ are you?"

Elijah sighed. "I told you, didn't I?" Then he recounted what happened to him that day again after explaining who he was. Again.

"You-you are a reindeer?"

"I am. But I turn into a human when I step my feet on earth."

Matt whistled. "And I thought miracles didn't happen. I thought Santa didn't exist!"

"People did and still do."

"You really glide from place to place? What is it like?"

"I really enjoy it. The wind on my face and the free sensation, nothing can beat them."

"And the gifts for children around the world?"

"Santa takes care of them," said Elijah quickly. It was such a hard work preparing them all. Elijah was glad it wasn't his job. He flew and that was it.

"I mean, Santa brings them all in his sleigh? For real?"

"Yes, Matthew." Why was it so hard to believe? What was wrong with him? What was wrong with everyone who didn't even accept the fact that Santa was always there in the North Pole?

"Huh. All right. So. What do you want to do now? Fly back home?" Matt went to the window. The snow had begun to fall again. "You can't go in that kind of weather." He turned to Elijah and pointed outside. "You'll freeze." Suddenly he seemed to be reminded of something. "You'll freeze," he repeated. "You're not going to wear any clothes."

"We reindeer have thick skin and dense fur." Elijah tried to soothe him. "Don't worry about me."

"Well, you've had me worried ever since you appeared at my door."

Elijah looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm very grateful for your concern and help. I really am. But it's been getting late. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be worried about me, too."

Matt went silent. "Well, if that's the best thing to do, let's just do it."

Elijah nodded and offered him a smile. "Thanks."

"What do you need? What should I do?"

"Just make sure my feet are off the ground. And thrust me into the air as hard as you can."

"What? I'm going to hurt you."

"Not at all. My friends usually pull me up. But Santa tossed me up once and it was okay."

"Huh. Okay. Let me grab my jacket first, then we'll go outside."

Elijah was glad the snow had stopped falling once they were out. Matt rubbed his gloved hands and blew into them.

"Okay. Let's do this." He moved to get him but Elijah raised his hand and went to hug the man.

"Thank you," he said as he pulled back. "You're a good man. I'll tell Santa to drop a gift through your chimney although you're not a kid anymore."

Matt laughed and ruffled Elijah's hair. "You naughty boy. Don't do this again, okay?"

'"Well, I don't know about that. I loved your chocolate pie. Perhaps one day--"

"Oh get here you." Matt grabbed and lifted him up. Elijah felt he began shifting at once.

"You should toss me now!"

Matt hoisted him with both hands and pushed him up as hard as he could. Elijah loosened his t-shirt and sweats as he turned fully into a reindeer. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at Matt, who looked smaller and smaller. Next time, he said to himself. When he was bigger and had no problem sending himself up into the air, he would return and visit Matt again.

Someday.

 

 

 

 

The End

 

 

 

 

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